Accordion



(No Model.)

.J. F. STRATTON.

ACCORDION.

No. 437,059. Patented Sept. 23, 1890.

a Flyl.

gig/V2019.

By i

A TTORNEYS In: News PETERS m, FHoro-umo wAsm -(Jum 0. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. STRATTON, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

ACCORDION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,059,-datedSeptember 23, 1890.

Application filed May 17, 1890. Serial No. 352,224. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. STRATTON,'of

Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Accordions, of whichfluttering-valve commanding the air-duct leading from the bellows to thewind-chest.

- The invention also consists of certain parts and details andcombinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, andthen pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a face view of the improvement as applied, the reed-boardbeing removed. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line 22 of Fig. l, and Fig. 3 is a face view of the improvement in a differentposition from the one shown in Fig. 1.

In accordions as heretofore constructed the tremolo device was actuatedby the performer manipulating with one or more of his fingers or hishands a separate mechanismusually called tremolo-stop connected with thefluttering valve of the air-duct, and in order to do this during theexecution of a piece of music the playing had to be interrupted -toenable the performer to set the tremolo device. This stopping of themusic could not well be avoided, no matter how much dexterity wasdisplayed by the performer, and neoessarily caused a disagreeable pause.

To avoid the interruption of the music, to enable the performer to keepon playing without stopping to set the tremolo device, and to instantlybring the tremolo into or out of use are the main objects of theinvention presently to be described.

The accordion A is provided with the usual wind-chest B, covered by thereed-board O and connected by the air-duct D with the interior of thebellows E. The air-duct D is adapted to be closed on top by the usualfluttering valve F, which when seated permits the performer to producetremolo by compressing the bellows in the usual manner. \Vhen the valveis unseated, the air passes freely from the bellows through the ductintothe wind-chest and from the latter past the reeds of the reed-boardwithout producing tremolo tones.

In order to hold the valve F off of its seat when the tremolo is notdesired and to permit the valve to seat itself for thetremolo, I providea gravity device G, having a bellcrank lever ll, pivoted at I in thewind-chest B, as is plainly shown in the drawings. This bell-crank leverH has one of its arms H extending upward, the outer end supporting aweight H The arm H is limited inits movement between two stop-pins J andJ, secured to the inner wall of the wind-chest, as is plainly shown inthe drawings. The other arm H of the bell-crank lever H is preferablymade in L shape, the outer end being adapted to engage a pin K held onone end of the fluttering valve F. lVhen the bellcrank lever H is in theposition shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the arm H rests against the said pin J,and the other arm H is disengaged from the pin K, so that the valve F isfree to open and close when the accordion is played to produce tremolo.

hen the operator desires not to use the tremolo, he tips the upper endof the accordion A slightly toward himself, so that the bell-crank leverchanges its position, the arm H swinging against the stop-pin J, and theother arm H engaging the pin K, so as to lift the valve F off of itsseat to permit the air from the bellows to pass freely through the ductD into the wind-chest B and through the reeds of the reed-board O. lVhenthe performer again desires to use the tremolo, he tips the upper end ofthe accordion outward, 'so that the bell-crank lever again In dottedlines in Figs. 1 and 2 is illus trated the ordinary tremolo-stop formanipulating the fluttering valve F, the said means consisting of astring connected with the valve and fastened to a block held on a rod Ipassing through the end of the wind-chest to the outside, the outer endof the rod being provided with a button, which when moved outward causesan upward movement of the block, so that the valve F is held open by thestring. When the button is pushed downward, the valve F seats itself.Other devices have also been put in use to accomplish the same result;but all had to be manipulated by the performers fingers, so that aninterruption of the music was necessary.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. In an accordion, a gravity device adapted toconnect or disconnect with the fluttering valve, according to theposition of the accordion, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an accordion a weighted lever pivoted in the accordion and adaptedto connect or disconnect with the fluttering valve, accordvalve,according to the position of the accoring to the position of theaccordion, substantially'as' shown and described.

3. In an accordion, the combination, with the fluttering Valve, of agravity device arranged in the accordion and adapted to connect anddisconnect with the said flutteringdion, substantially as shown anddescribed.

4. In an accordion, the combination, with. a fluttering valve, of aweighted bell-crank lever held in the wind-chest and adapted to connectwith or disconnect from the fluttering valve, substantially as shown anddescribed.

5. In an accordion, the combination, with a fluttering valve, of aweighted bell-crank lever held inthe wind-chest and adapted to connectwith or disconnect from the fluttering valve, and stop-pins forlimitingthe movement of the said bell-crank lever, substantially as shown anddescribed.

6. In an accordion, the combination, with a fluttering valve providedwith a pin, of a weighted bell-crank lever adapted to engage with onearm the said pin and carrying a weight on its other arm, substantiallyas shown and described.

7. In an accordion, the combination, with a fluttering valve providedwith a pin, of a weighted bell-crank lever adapted to engagewith one armthe said pin and carrying a weight on its other arm, and stop-pins forlimiting the movement of the said bell-crank lever, substantially asshown and described.

JOHN F. STRATTON.

Witnesses:

THEO. G. HosTER, E. M. CLARK.

